Time-controlled clock attachment



March 30, 1943. Q Lum-z 2,315,265

TIME-CONTROLLED CLOCK ATTACHMENT 1 Filed Sept. 18. 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

C. LURTZ TIME-CONTROLLED CLOCK ATTACHMENT Filed Sept. 18, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 30, 1943.

27 FIG. e FIG. 5 fw-JJ" a INV ENTOR.

Patented Mar. 30, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to time-controlled mechanism, and more particularly to that type wherein an apparatus is adapted to perform a definite function in time-relation with a clock having time-indicating exhibiting means.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of means whereby a day-time clock, mechanically or electrically driven, may be advantageously interconnected i in a simple and economical manner with a settable time-controllable operating device, adapted for effecting operativeness or inoperativeness in an operatively associated adjunctive device at denite time-intervals; the instrumentality co-active with said operating device and adjunctive device may be in the form of an electric switch, or some form or other of releasing mechanism or actuating mechanism, adapted for causing operation in the adjunctive device to be effected or not to be effected at a denite predetermined time-period; and the adjunctive device may be any form of apparatus or mecha.- nism adapted for the performance of a special function with co-operation of the clock mechanism which is operatively interlinked with the settable control mechanism,

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary rear perspective view of the present invention as embodied in an ordinary type of alarm clock, showing the arrangement of the two manipulating knobs for the third hand and a friction member arranged on the front end of the shaft.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary rear view of a modied device for a three hand clock.

Figure 3 is a side view of the same.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the central tubular shaft and other members carried by it.

Figure 5 is a modification showing reduction gearing on the line 5--5 of Figure 6.

Figure 6 is a sectional view of Figure 5 on the line 6 6.

Figure 7 is a face view of an alarm clock settable over four-hour periods.

In Figure l a driving sprig or source of power, not shown, may. by a train of gears, not shown, turn an escanement wheel 22, oscillatingr the usual anchor 23 by which the usual bell hammer is carried.

The escape wheel 22 is shown as meshing with a pinion 24, fast on a shaft 25 within the usual mechanism plates 26 and 21.

Outside of the plate 21. the shaft 25 is shown as carrying a release wheel 28 which is normally blocked by a holding arm 29, The arm 29 normally lies in a notch 3U in the release wheel 28, being held there under the tension of a spring 3|, anchored in a rivet 32, which forms a pivot for the arm 29.

The arm 29 is adapted to be moved out of the notch 30 by a nger 33, carried on a shaft 34 which is jo'urnalled in a hollow shaft 35, carrying the usual minute hand 41. The hollow shaft 35 is shown as driven by the usual pinion 31 of the usual gear train 38. The shaft 34 extends through an axial bore 39 of the shaft 35 to the front end thereof, where a finger-piece 4D is secured to the extremity of shaft 34. The said finger-piece 4U is provided with an indicator hand 4|, and a compression spring 42 abuts against the end of shaft 35 and the finger-piece 40, holding the shaft 34 frictionally against the hollow shaft 35.

Once in every complete turn of the shaft 35, the finger 33 depresses a heel 43 on the arm 29 to carry the arm out of the notch 30 so that the escape wheel is released and turns to permit the actuation of the bell hammer.

The shaft 34 is shown as having another setting nger-piece 44 at the rear end; either the front or rear finger-piece may be used to set the indicator hand 4| to indicate on the dial 45 the number of minutes before the alarm will go off by releasing the arm 29.

The usual clock hands 46 and 41 may be sct by a separate setting stem not shown in this gure and which will be hereinafter described.

The device shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, is a modification cf the alarm release mechanism, and also has a third hand, shown as separately settable to set the alarm to go off after a given number of minutes. the timing connections being driven by the usual clock mechanism.

In the form shown, the usual driving spring 48 turns a gear 38 meshing with a pinion 31 which turns the newly constructed hollow minute-hand-arbor 35 to drive the usual clock-hand mechanism.

The clock-hand mechanism includes a pinion 5| fast on the arbor 35 so as to turn the gear 52. The said gear 52 is fast to a pinion 53 which meshes with a gear 54, carrying the sleeve 55 on which is mounted the hour hand 46.

Likewise, as in Figure 1, the arbor 35 is tubular in construction, and in its bore is journalled the shaft 34 with the indicator hand 4| on its front end. The shaft 34 normally turns with the hollow arbor 35, because, as in Figure 1, a spring 5B, compressed between the setting handle 44 on the shaft 34 and a washer 58 abutting the end 59 of the arbor 35, tends to draw the shaft 34 rearwardly so that a hub 60, fast on its front end, frictionally engages the front end 6| of the arbor 35. The device shown includes a finger 33 which is adapted to strike a heel 43 on the arm 29. In the form shown, the finger 33 is part of the setting handle 44.

The arm 29', when carried down by the finger 33, releases an escape-member 51 which is restrained from oscillating by a projection 62 on the arm 29'. The member 51 is shown on the outside of the mechanism plate 21' and is fixed to a shaft journalled in the mechanism plates, and carrying a pallet 64 close to the shaft center. The pallet 64 and an escape Wheel 65 vibrate an intermediary lever B6 which is extended at 61 to form a bell hammer, ringing a bell B8.

The operation of this particular escapement mechanism is more fully described in my copending application, Serial No. 70,773, filed on Mar. 25, 1936.

The operation of the alarm mechanism may be manually prevented by depressing the usual pin 69, slidable in the clock casing 10, to lie in the path of a vibratory wing 1l fast on the bell-hammer mechanism.

In the form shown, the spring 12, which drives by its gear 13 the wheel 65 of the alarm mechanism, is also adapted to move a lever 14, which may control, for example, an electric switch or valve or other devices. In the form shown, the shaft 15 of the spring Wheel 13 carries an arm 16 with an operating pin 11 entering a slot 18 in the lever 14,--the rate of motion of the spring wheel 13 being controlled by the escape wheel 65.

The control device of the alarm mechanism may be so connected to the clock as to arrest the motion of the clock mechanism whenever the member 51 is released. For this purpose there is shown on the arm 29' a projecting member 19, shown clear of the clock escapement, but movable to engage the periphery 80 of the balance wheel 8l of a self-starting escapement device` whenever the nger 33 depresses the heel 43' to carry down the arm 29.

To limit the upward motion of the arm 29'. there is shown a pin 82.

The clock-hands, 46 and 41, may be set by the knob 83, fast on a shaft 84, journalled in the mechanism plates 26' and 21 and carrying a pinion 85 which engages the gear 52. It will be noted that the clock-hand setting knob 83 is not located in the center of the clock and fastened to the center shaft as is ordinarily the case in the conventional type of clock construction.

The gearing, for manually turning the clockhands, operates in the usual manner and therefore is here only briefly described. The center wheel 86, fast to the pinion 31, is frictlonally held against the shaft 35 by a compressed spring 81. bearing against a sleeve 88 and pressing the pinion 31, which is loosely secured to the shaft 35. against the sleeve 89, the sleeve 88 and 89 being rigidly secured to the hollow shaft 35. When the clock-hands are set. by turning the knob 83. the shaft 35 will turn but the gear 86, whose motion is controlled by the escapement mechanism of the clock, can now not turn with the shaft. It will be obvious that the shaft 34 turns with the shaft 35. in the form of construction shown, but the shaft 34, with its hand 4|. may be independently set, because the spring 58 is made weaker than the spring 81, consequently exerting less frictional pressure.

The great length of the escapement member 51 and the closeness of the pallet 64 to its shaft center, make the load at 62 very light, making possible the release of the arm 29 with very little power.

The finger 33L is shown as flexible perpendicular to its face so that it easily passes the heel 43' 75 if moved manually in clockwise direction, as looking at Figure 2. e

Figures 5 and 6 show a modified form of the device of Figures 2 and 3, in which a flat spring washer is shown instead of the cylindrical spring 56, between the finger-piece 44 and the end of shaft 35. This enables the finger-piece 44 to be brought closer to the mechanism plate 21, consequently saving space and requiring a housing of smaller depth. In these two figures, gearing is shown to drive the third hand 4I at a different speed to that of the shaft 35.

In the form shown, the shaft 35 is provided with a gear 9| which meshes with and drives a gear 92 to which is fastened a pinion 93 which extends to the outside of the plate 21" and is journalled in a sleeve 94 fixed to the mechanism plate. The said pinion 93 meshes with and drives the gear 95, revolubly mounted on the hub 95. To the hub 96 is fastened the shaft 34 which, like in Figures l to 4, inclusive, extends to the front end of shaft 35 to be provided there with an indicator hand. A disk 91 is riveted to the said hub on one end, and the fiat spring Washer 90 is held pressed .against the gear by the swaged shoulder 98 of the hub, so that the gear 95 carries the shaft 34 frictionally with it when driven by the clock mechanism, but permits independent manual turning of the shaft for setting the indicator hand to predetermine the time of the operation of the release arm 29". In Figure 6, the arm 29", shown in dotted lines, is bent to clear the gear 95 and its friction washer. The ngerpiece 44 is fastened to an extension of the hub 96, and the manner of attaching the finger 33 thereto is clearly shown in Figure 6. The escape member 51' may be twisted at its extreme end, permitting it to be fashioned of a lighter gauge metal.

Figure 7 shows an ordinary clock dial 39 surrounded by another dial |00, having Special graduations which are adapted to serve as setting-marks for the third indicator hand to enable the operator to set the device for the release of the alarm, or other devices, after the indicated time interval.

The gearing shown in Fig. 6 may in practice be replaced by any other suitable form of driving device for causing the settable indicator and the interconnected control mechanism to be driven at any desired speed, other than that of the tubuliform shaft 35 of the time-gear-train.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention I Would state in conclusion that while the illustrated examples constitute practical embodiments of my invention I do not desire to be restricted to the details of construction and arrangement of parts of the various constructions illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since manifestly they can be considerably varied without departure from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I clai' .1:

l. A clock device including time-indicatingi hands, a hollow shaft for one of said hands, means for driving the hollow shaft and the timeindicating hands at a constant speed; a setting shaft lying within the hollow shaft, and a supplemental hand interconnected with the setting shaft to indicate the angular position and degrees of rotation of the latter, a coupling between the hollow shaft and the setting shaft whereby the latter is forced to turn progressively over recurring cycles of operation but may be manually turned independently of the hollow shaft, an operating member interconnected with and driven by the setting shaft. a`n adjunctive device adapted for the accomplishment of an automatic operation at a definite time period. and a control member in said adiunctive device adapted to move to operative and to non-operative positions with co-operation of said operating member of the setting shaft.

2. A clock device comprising a gear train and time-indicating exhibiting means driven by said gear train, means for driving the latter at a constant speed. a hollow shaft forming part of said gear train, an adjunctive device incorporated with the clock device, said adjunctive device being adapted for the accomplishment of a function at :a definite time period, supplemental exhibiting means for indicating the time at which the adiunctive device will operate, a setting shaft for the supplemental exhibiting means, said setting vshaft extending axially through the hollow shaft.

' ting shaft may be manually turned without turning the hollow shaft, an operating member driven continuously by the setting shaft. a normally nonoperating control member embodied with said ad- .iunctive device. said control member lying in the path of the time-controlled operating member, and means incorporated with said control member whereby the latter may be moved successively to operative and to non-operative positions with (1o-operation of the time-controlled operating member when driven.

3. A clock operatively connected with an ad- .iunctive device, the latter being adapted to perform a function at definite time-intervals. a tubuliform sha ft comprised in said clock. and timeindicating exhibiting means interconnected with the tubuliform shaft. means for rotating said tubuliform shaftv continuously at a constant speed: and a time-setting device whereby the operation of said adjunciive device may be predetermined. said time-setting device comprising a center sha ft, axially extending through the tubuliform shaft and projecting therefrom at both ends. a connecting device between the tubuliform shaft and the center shaft, adapted for causing the latter to be driven over successive cycles of operation by the same driving| means which rotates the tubuliform shaft, means embodied with said connecting device whereby the center shaft mav be turned independently of the tubuliform shaft, a time indicator driven bv the center shaft. and an 'actuating device interconnected with the center lshaft for effecting automatic operation of the adiunctive device after expiration of the time period -for which the setting device was set to operate.

necting mechanism between the tubuliform shaft and the center shaftadapted to cause the latter to be driven over successive cycles of operation at a speed other than that of the tubuliform shaft. means embodied with said connecting mechanism whereby the center shaft may be turned independently of the tubuliform shaft, means for indicating degrees of angular motion of the center shaft, and an actuating device embodied with the time-setting device adapted for effecting automatic operation of the adjunctive device after expiration of the time period for which the setting device was set to operate.

5. A clock operatively connected with an adjunctive device, the latter being adapted to perform a function at definite time intervals, a tu-l buliform shaft comprised in said clock` and time' indicating means interconnected with the tubuliform shaft. means for rotating said tubuliform shaft continuously at a constant speed; and a time-setting device whereby the operation of i said adiunctive device may be predetermined, saidl time-setting device comprising a center shaft axially extending through the tubuliform shaft and projecting therefrom at at least one end, a connecting device between the tubuliform shaft and the center shaft adapted for causing the latter to be driven over successive cycles of operation by the same means which drives the tubuliform shaft, means embodied with said connecting device whereby the center shaft may be turned independently of the tubuliform shaft, aMtirhe-in-I dicator driven by the center shaft, anwactuatingl device interconnected with the center shaft for effecting automatic operation of the adjunctive device after expiration of the time period for; which the setting device was set to operate, and an instrumentality embodied with the clock and the adjunctive device for at will causing operation of the latter to be either effected or not to be effected during recurringT operative cycles of thc settable center shaft.

G. A clock operatively connected with an ad- .iunciive device. the latter being adapted to pelform function at definite time-intervals. a tubuliform .shaft comprised in said clock, and timeindicating exhibiting means interconnected with the tubuliform shaft. means for rotating said tubuliform shaft at a constant speed; and a timesetting device whereby the operation of said ad- .iunctii'e device may be predetermined, said timosetting device comprising a center shaft axially extending through the tubuliform shaft. a connecting mechanism between the tubuliform shaft and the center shaft adapted to cause the latter to he driven over successive cycles of operation at a speed other than that of the tubuliform shaft. means embodied with said connecting mechanism whereby the center shaft may be turned independently of the tubuliform shaft, means for indicating degrees of angular motion of the center shaft, an actuating device embodied with the inne-setting device adapted for effecting autor' atie Operation of the adjunctive device after expiration of the time period for which the setting device was set to operate. and an instrumentality embodied with the clock and its adjunctive device for at will causing operation of the latter to be either effected or not to be effected during recurring. cycles of operation of the time-setting shaft.

CARL LURTZ. 

